Toilet Hygiene

The toilet has a lot to do with personal hygiene and general health as it is a place that can not be avoided since it is essential to take a bath and visit the toilet often in a day,keeping it clean and free from anything that can endanger health is important.

The toilet, like the bathroom, is a humid area of the house, due to the amount of water in the cistern. A toilet is also a perfect place for germs and bacteria to breed. Bacteria’s like E-coli, Salmonella and much more can mostly be found in the toilet bowl. These bacteria’s are also found on the toilet seat, the floor, the flush and the door handle. Bacteria in the toilet absorb organic waste and release gases which is the reason why we get a foul odor in the toilets. Hence toilet hygiene is very important.

Basic Tips To Toilet Hygiene

Sweep the floor and pick up any trash: When sweeping, start in one corner of the bathroom and sweep in overlapping strokes toward a single area. Collect trash and put it in the dustbin.

Disinfect all high-touch areas: Disinfect toilet flush handles, door knobs, faucets, paper towel dispensers, stall locks, light switches, and wall. Disinfectants need to sit on a surface for several minutes in order to kill pathogens. Use floor cleaning solution to scrub floors, baseboards, tiles, grout and especially the areas around toilets and urinals.

Shut the lid before flushing: Every time you flush the toilet, bacteria are projected into the air and then cover all the surrounding surfaces. So it is extremely crucial to always flush the toilet with the toilet lid down. This practice will reduce the spread of bacteria in the toilet.

Clean your toilet brushes: Remember to clean the toilet brush which can spread bacteria if not cleaned after every use. Wash toilet brush with disinfecting detergent. Toilet brushes should be changed at least once every six months.

Ventilate your toilet: Air the toilet to reduce the level of humidity in the room and check that the ventilation system is working properly. Allow floor to dry fully. The fastest way to do this is by using a dry mop, which can help sop up any solution that’s left on the floor after mopping. This practice also helps reduce the risk of slips and falls.

Use Toilet Seat Sanitiser: Clean the toilet seat daily with a product specifically designed to reduce the spread of bacteria. If you have children, do the same for their toilet seat as well. Use products like toilet seat sanitizer spray which removes harmful germs and bacteria.

Wash your hands regularly: Go over the flush and the taps with extra care as they are breeding grounds for bacteria. These are ideal places to pick up microbes as they are in direct contact with our hands. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap every time you use the toilet.

Toilet seats can be downright difficult to get a sparkling status, which means you end up spending much more time than you would like, crouching down beside the toilet scrubbing away.

It has been advised for all to imbibe the culture of hand washing, and ensuring personal and environmental hygiene are adopted, it reduces the number of people suffering from communicable disease linked to poor hygiene and sanitation.

Due to the growing challenges posed toilet hygiene there are strategies that were put in place to raise awareness on hygiene and behavioural change, among them the Community organization which are hardly adhered to.

Schools, churches and mosques and other public places are areas found to have these challenges, it is important to know how to use a public toilet, If you must

1. Avoid sitting on the toilet bowl.

2. Disinfect before use.

3. Flush before every use.

General Tips On Toilet hygiene

Since good toilet hygiene reduces the risk of illnesses, infection and diseases like gastrointestinal and urinary tract infection.

It is important to note that hand washing is an essential practice.

Effective hand washing involves clean water and soap and scrubbing both the front and back of your hands, between your fingers and under your nails for a minimum of 20 seconds can keep you safe. It is important to avoid touching different toilets surfaces like faucets and door handles after a hand wash since these surfaces harbour and spread germs.

Using disposable towels or toilet paper is a good way to avoid touching such surfaces. Flushing and covering toilet seats after using the toilet is important as well.

Training children on hygiene is also important. For instance, boys should be trained about not urinating on toilets seats and girls about wiping from front to back to avoid spreading germs to their genitals.

Using liquid soap is a better option than bar soap as the latter could be a source of infection, pointing out that avoiding towels in rest rooms is vital as these are not frequently changed and could be a source of infection. Opt for disposable tissue to dry hands after using the toilet.

Shaking hands is are also another source of spread of germs, especially after toilet use, so be sure to wash hands frequently after several handshakes or touching surfaces in public areas used by big numbers of people.

Habit of placing bags or phones on the toilet floors as these are ridden with germs. Not flushing sanitary pads down the toilet, but rather placing them in the bins provided is as well vital.